Rotating ladle car

ABSTRACT

A ladle car having a body rotatable about a horizontal axis has an opening at its top with a main spout casting on each circumferential side thereof. A removable spout is attached to each main spout casting by means of bolts passing through aligned holes in two sets of matching lugs, one lug of each set being part of the main spout casting and the other being part of the spout. The spout includes a central generally U-shaped refractory lined spout portion having a downwardly extending convex bottom wall and two side walls. The spout portion extends beyond the ladle body and the main spout casting, but not to such an extent that it will prevent rotation of the body through 360*.

United States Patent Dutko et al. 1 1 Oct. 1, 1974 [54] ROTATING LADLE CAR 3,730,506 5/1973 McAfee 105/264 x [75] Inventors: George Dutko, Chesterton; Robert v Krueger Merrmvine; Stanley J. Primary ExamrrterM. Henson Wood, Jr. Lesniak, Gary, all of Ind. jifzstant ixamtzner7 l-lowa]r)d Bellrzgmp t orney, gen 0r rrmona en 0 [73] Assignee: United States Steel Corporation [22] Filed: Oct. 16, 1972 [57] ABSTRACT [21] Appl. No.: 298,183 A ladle car having a body rotatable about a horizontal axis has an opening at its top with a main spout casting on each circumferential side thereof. A removable [52] US. Cl 105/270, 105/264, 2222426379, spout is attached to each main Spout casting by means of bolts passing through aligned holes in two sets of 1d 27 g z fl r z 5/ I 3 5 2 matchlng lugs, one lug of each set being part of the 272 i 567' main spout casting and the other being part of the spout. The spout includes a central generally U- shaped refractory lined spout portion having a down- [56] References cued wardly extending convex bottom wall and two side UNITED STATES PATENTS walls. The spout portion extends beyond the ladle 353,009 11/1886 Weimer 105/266 body and the main spout casting, but not to such an 1,251,232 12/1917 g 105/272 X extent that it will prevent rotation of the body through 1,438,661 12 1922 Nelson et a 105/271 36m 1,995,166. 3/1935 Astrom 105/270 2,141,694 12/1938 Olson 105/271 9 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 1 ROTATING LADLE CAR This invention relates to ladle cars and more particularly to ladle cars for transferring molten iron from blast furnaces to open hearths or to oxygen converters. One type of such ladle car is shown in Astrom US. Pat. No. 1,995,166 dated Mar. 19, 1935. The ladle car is transferred on a railroad track between the shops and is rotated about a horizontal axis to discharge molten iron into ladles at the open hearth or converter shops. The ladle car may rotate through 360 and the metal may be poured from one or both sides. Prior to our invention, a pouring spout such as shown in the Astrom patent was used. This spout included a solid plate attached to the spout casting. In some instances, the molten metal overflows from the mouth of the ladle and damages the main portion of the spout casting. Damage also resulted to the ladle car from erosion of the hot metal flowing from the ladle car, all of this resulting in expensive repairs and upkeep.

It is, therefore, an object of our invention to provide a pouring spout for a ladle car such that the molten metal may be discharged with little or no impingement on the main spout casting or the main body of the ladle.

Another object is to provide such a spout which can be readily replaced and/or repaired.

These and other objects will be more apparent after referring to the following specification and attached drawings, in which: 7

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a ladle car of our invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a portion of the ladle car of FIG. 1 showing the pouring spout of ourinvention;

FIG. 3 -is a perspective view of a main spout casing;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the spout of our invention; ahd

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view taken substantially along the line VV of FIG. 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral 2 indicates a railroad track for supporting a ladle car 4. The car 4 includes a general cylindrical, hollow body 6 for receiving the molten iron. The body 6 is mounted in bearings 8 for rotation about its generally horizontal axis. The rotation may be accomplished in any suitable manner such as shown in the Astrom Patent. An opening 10 is provided in the body 6 and is at the top of the body when it is in the normal upright position. A main spout casting 12 is provided on each circumferential side of the opening 10 and includes an upper slot 14 positioned. midway between generally circumferential lugs 16 which in normal position are generally vertical. Holes 18 are provided through lugs 16 for a purpose which will appear later. The main body of the spout casting is arcuate and extends outwardly beyond the main portion of body 4.

According to our invention, we provide a removable spout 20 which is preferably a casting. The spout 20 includes a central generally U-shaped spout portion 22 which has a downwardly extending convex bottom wall 24 and side walls 26. A flange 28 extends upwardly from the bottom 24 at the discharge end thereof for a purpose which will appear laterQ'An outwardly extending flange 30 is provided at each side of spout portion 22, one adjacent each of the lugs 16. A wall 32 connects each flange 30 to the adjacent wall 26 and is shaped to conform to the outer surface of the main spout casting 12. An outwardly extending lifting lug 34 extends outwardly from each wall 32. A hole 36 is provided through each lug 34. Holes 40 are provided in each flange 30 in alignment with the holes 18 in flanges 16 for receiving bolts 42. A refractory lining 44 is provided in the U-shaped spout 22 with the flange 28 holding the refractory in place. It will be seen that the end of U-shaped spout portion 22 extends outwardly beyond the periphery of body 6 and the main spout casting 12, but that the projection is such that the body 6 can rotate completely through 360 without the spout contacting the rails 2 or the ties or ground between the rails.

When the spout member 20 becomes damaged or worn and it is desired to move it for repair or for any other reason. it is only necessary to remove the bolts 42 and lift the entire casting by means of a crane having hooks or a sling passing through the holes 36 in the lifting lugs 34. A spare spout member 20 can then be placed into position in the reverse manner, thus saving out-time of the ladle car.

The bottom 24 of the inner end of the spout member 20 is below the rim or top of the main spout casting 12 so that the molten iron can be drained without damage to the main spout casting or the body 6. It will also be seen that the molten metal flowing from the spout will be discharged beyond the main spout casting and the body of the ladle car thus preventing damage thereto.

While in accordance with the patent statutes, preferred and alternative embodiments of this invention have been illustrated and described in detail, it is to be particularly understood that the invention is not limited thereto or thereby.

We claim:

1. In a ladle car including a generally cylindrical body for containing molten metal or the like, means mounting said body on said car for rotation about a generally horizontal axis to effect rotation and discharging of molten metal from said body, and at least one spout support on said body having a pair of spaced apart generally circumferential lugs extending outwardly therefrom; the improvement comprising a slot in said spout support between said lugs, a removable spout member secured to said spout support between said lugs. said spout member including a central generally U-shaped spout portion having one end received in said slot and the other end forming a lip extending outwardly and spaced beyond the periphery of said body whereby molten metal discharged from said body is diverted from the periphery of said body, an outwardly extending flange at each side of said spout member one adjacent each of said lugs and means connecting each flange to said U-shaped spout member, and means securing each flange to the adjacent lug.

2. A ladle car according to claim 1 in which said U- shaped portion has a convex downwardly and outwardly extending base, two-side walls, a flange extending upwardly from the discharge end of said base between said side walls, and a refractory lining on the inside vof said base and side walls.

3. A ladle car according to claim 1 including a pair of lifting lugs extending outwardly from said spout member one between each flange and said U-shaped spout portion.

4. A ladle car according to claim 3 in which said U- shaped portion has a convex downwardly and outwardly extending base, two side walls, a flange extending upwardly from the discharge end of said base between said side walls, and a refractory lining on the inside of said base and side walls.-

5. A ladle car according to claim 4 in which the top of said spout support and the top of said spout member are at the same level. I

6. A ladle car according to claim 1 in which the projection of said U-shaped spout portion is such as to permit rotation of said body through 360 without contacting the car supporting surface.

7. A ladle car according to claim 6 in which said U- of said spout support and the top of said spout member are at the same level.

I I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. j 3 838 650 Dated October 1 1974 lnv George Dutko et va1 It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

On theCoVer sheet cancel "[73] Assigne ei United States Steel Corporation".

Signed arid sealed this 31st day of December 1974. E

(SEAL) Attest MCCOY 2-1. GIBSON JR. 0. NARSHALL DA Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents F ORM PO-1050 (10-69) USCOMM'DC 60376-P69 U.S GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 869' 9 o 

1. In a ladle car including a generally cylindrical body for containing molten metal or the like, means mounting said body on said car for rotation about a generally horizontal axis to effect rotation and discharging of molten metal from said body, and at least one spout support on said body having a pair of spaced apart generally circumferential lugs extending outwardly therefrom; the improvement comprising a slot in said spout support between said lugs, a removable spout member secured to said spout support between said lugs, said spout member including a central generally U-shaped spout portion having one end received in said slot and the other end forming a lip extending outwardly and spaced beyond the periphery of said body whereby molten metal discharged from said body is diverted from the periphery of said body, an outwardly extending flange at each side of said spout member one adjacent each of said lugs and means connecting each flange to said U-shaped spout member, and means securing each flange to the adjacent lug.
 2. A ladle car according to claim 1 in which said U-shaped portion has a convex downwardly and outwardly extending base, two side walls, a flange extending upwardly from the discharge end of said base between said side walls, and a refractory lining on the inside of said base and side walls.
 3. A ladle car according to claim 1 including a pair of lifting lugs extending outwardly from said spout member one between each flange and said U-shaped spout portion.
 4. A ladle car according to claim 3 in which said U-shaped portion has a convex downwardly and outwardly extending base, two side walls, a flange extending upwardly from the discharge end of said base between said side walls, and a refractory lining on the inside of said base and side walls.
 5. A ladle car according to claim 4 in which the top of said spout support and the top of said spout member are at the same level.
 6. A ladle car according to claim 1 in which the projection of said U-shaped spout portion is such as to permit rotation of said body through 360* without contacting the car supporting surface.
 7. A ladle car according to claim 6 in which said U-shaped portion has a convex downwardly and outwardly extending base, two side walls, a flange extending upwardly from the discharge end of said base between said side walls, and a refractory lining in the inside of said base and side walls.
 8. A ladle car according to claim 7 including a pair of lifting lugs extending outwardly from said spout member one between each flange and said U-shaped spout portion.
 9. A ladle car according to claim 8 in which the top of said spout support and the top of said spout member are at the same level. 